PHOENIX — Maricopa County will serve as a national model for new automotive technologies, part of a nearly-$20-million grant awarded to the state focused on developing vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies, the United States Department of Transportation announced Thursday.

In Maricopa County, the Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will deploy V2X technologies that rely on 5.9 GHz communications to connect 750 physical roadside units to an estimated 400 onboard units, focusing first on transit, emergency and freight fleets.

Applications such as Emergency Vehicle Preemption, Vulnerable Road User detection and Transit Signal Priority are among the elements that will be deployed across Phoenix, Tolleson, Avondale and the connecting US 60.

Additionally, the county will utilize a 5G computing network to connect infrastructure at 75 intersections in hopes of demonstrating interoperability between different users and platforms.

“As this department explores every measure that can help reduce roadway fatalities, connected vehicle technology — like V2X — has potential to make roads safer and save lives,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in a press release. “The grants we’re announcing today are helping accelerate the development and adoption of potentially life-saving V2X technology nationwide.”

Arizona received its grant from a USDOT package that distributed $60 million across Arizona, Texas and Utah.

“We are grateful to the USDOT and FHWA for this grant which will accelerate our ability to deploy the V2X technology to Maricopa County and bring safety and mobility improvements to our rapidly growing region,” Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers said, adding Maricopa County has been a breeding ground for this type of testing for more than 15 years.

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